diff --git a/stix/lib/comp.c b/stix/lib/comp.c
index 3023a7a..8a759fc 100644
--- a/stix/lib/comp.c
+++ b/stix/lib/comp.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 /* initial method dictionary size */
 #define INSTANCE_METHOD_DICTIONARY_SIZE 256 /* TODO: choose the right size */
-#define CLASS_METHOD_DICTIONARY_SIZE 256 /* TODO: choose the right size */
+#define CLASS_METHOD_DICTIONARY_SIZE 128 /* TODO: choose the right size */
 
 #if 0
 
@@ -2350,21 +2350,23 @@ static int compile_method_statements (stix_t* stix)
 
 static int add_compiled_method (stix_t* stix)
 {
-	stix_oop_t sel; /* selector */
+	stix_oop_t name; /* selector */
 	stix_oop_method_t mth; /* method */
 	stix_oop_t code;
 	stix_size_t tmp_count = 0;
 
-	sel = stix_makesymbol (stix, stix->c->mth.name.ptr, stix->c->mth.name.len);
-	if (!sel) return -1;
-	stix_pushtmp (stix, &sel); tmp_count++;
+	name = stix_makesymbol (stix, stix->c->mth.name.ptr, stix->c->mth.name.len);
+	if (!name) return -1;
+	stix_pushtmp (stix, &name); tmp_count++;
 
-	mth = (stix_oop_method_t)stix_instantiate (stix, stix->_method_dictionary, stix->c->mth.literals, stix->c->mth.literal_count);
+/* TODO: check if this stix_instantiate is GC safe...as it passed mth.literals... */
+	mth = (stix_oop_method_t)stix_instantiate (stix, stix->_method, stix->c->mth.literals, stix->c->mth.literal_count);
 	if (!mth) goto oops;
 	stix_pushtmp (stix, (stix_oop_t*)&mth); tmp_count++;
 
 	code = stix_instantiate (stix, stix->_byte_array, stix->c->mth.code.ptr, stix->c->mth.code.len);
 	if (!code) goto oops;
+	stix_pushtmp (stix, &code); tmp_count++;
 
 	mth->owner = stix->c->cls.self_oop;
 	mth->tmpr_count = STIX_OOP_FROM_SMINT(stix->c->mth.tmpr_count);
@@ -2374,7 +2376,8 @@ static int add_compiled_method (stix_t* stix)
 
 	stix_poptmps (stix, tmp_count); tmp_count = 0;
 
-	if (!stix_putatdic (stix, stix->c->cls.mthdic_oop[stix->c->mth.type], sel, (stix_oop_t)mth)) goto oops;
+	//if (!stix_putatdic (stix, stix->c->cls.mthdic_oop[stix->c->mth.type], name, (stix_oop_t)mth)) goto oops;
+	if (!stix_putatdic (stix, stix->c->cls.mthdic_oop[stix->c->mth.type], name, stix->_nil)) goto oops;
 	return 0;
 
 oops:
@@ -2778,8 +2781,8 @@ printf ("\n");
 		}
 
 		/* use the method dictionary of an existing class object */
-		stix->c->cls.mthdic_oop[0] = stix->c->cls.self_oop->instmths;
-		stix->c->cls.mthdic_oop[1] = stix->c->cls.self_oop->classmths;
+		stix->c->cls.mthdic_oop[MTH_INSTANCE] = stix->c->cls.self_oop->instmths;
+		stix->c->cls.mthdic_oop[MTH_CLASS] = stix->c->cls.self_oop->classmths;
 	}
 	else
 	{
diff --git a/stix/lib/dic.c b/stix/lib/dic.c
index 10b0cfa..eb83876 100644
--- a/stix/lib/dic.c
+++ b/stix/lib/dic.c
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ static stix_oop_t find_or_insert (stix_t* stix, stix_oop_set_t dic, stix_oop_cha
 	stix_oop_association_t ass;
 	stix_oow_t tmp_count = 0;
 
+
 	/* the system dictionary is not a generic dictionary.
 	 * it accepts only a symbol as a key. */
 	STIX_ASSERT (STIX_CLASSOF(stix,key) == stix->_symbol);
@@ -200,7 +201,7 @@ stix_oop_t stix_lookupsysdic (stix_t* stix, const stix_ucs_t* name)
 stix_oop_t stix_putatdic (stix_t* stix, stix_oop_set_t dic, stix_oop_t key, stix_oop_t value)
 {
 	STIX_ASSERT (STIX_CLASSOF(stix,key) == stix->_symbol);
-	return find_or_insert (stix, stix->sysdic, (stix_oop_char_t)key, value);
+	return find_or_insert (stix, dic, (stix_oop_char_t)key, value);
 }
 
 stix_oop_t stix_getatdic (stix_t* stix, stix_oop_set_t dic, stix_oop_t key)
@@ -220,7 +221,6 @@ stix_oop_t stix_makedic (stix_t* stix, stix_oop_t cls, stix_oow_t size)
 	stix_oop_t tmp;
 
 	STIX_ASSERT (STIX_CLASSOF(stix,cls) == stix->_class);
-	STIX_ASSERT (cls != stix->_system_dictionary); 
 
 	dic = (stix_oop_set_t)stix_instantiate (stix, cls, STIX_NULL, 0);
 	if (!dic) return STIX_NULL;
@@ -234,5 +234,9 @@ stix_oop_t stix_makedic (stix_t* stix, stix_oop_t cls, stix_oow_t size)
 
 	dic->tally = STIX_OOP_FROM_SMINT(0);
 	dic->bucket = (stix_oop_oop_t)tmp;
+
+	STIX_ASSERT (STIX_OBJ_GET_SIZE(dic) == STIX_SET_NAMED_INSTVARS);
+	STIX_ASSERT (STIX_OBJ_GET_SIZE(dic->bucket) == size);
+
 	return (stix_oop_t)dic;
 }
diff --git a/stix/lib/gc.c b/stix/lib/gc.c
index e0ebc4c..be46a64 100644
--- a/stix/lib/gc.c
+++ b/stix/lib/gc.c
@@ -221,7 +221,9 @@ printf ("STARTING GC curheap base %p ptr %p newheap base %p ptr %p\n",
 
 	for (i = 0; i < stix->tmp_count; i++)
 	{
-		*stix->tmp_stack[i] = stix_moveoop (stix, *stix->tmp_stack[i]);
+		stix_oop_t t;
+		t = stix_moveoop (stix, *stix->tmp_stack[i]);
+		*stix->tmp_stack[i] = t;
 	}
 
 	for (cb = stix->cblist; cb; cb = cb->next)
diff --git a/stix/lib/ignite.c b/stix/lib/ignite.c
index 2b0d6c8..ef38cfa 100644
--- a/stix/lib/ignite.c
+++ b/stix/lib/ignite.c
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ static int ignite_1 (stix_t* stix)
 	stix->_small_integer     = alloc_kernel_class (stix, 0, STIX_CLASS_SPEC_MAKE(0, 0, STIX_OBJ_TYPE_OOP));
 
 	if (!stix->_stix              || !stix->_nil_object        || !stix->_object ||
-	    !stix->_array             || !stix->_string            || !stix->_symbol ||
+	    !stix->_array             || !stix->_byte_array        ||
+	    !stix->_string            || !stix->_symbol            ||
 	    !stix->_symbol_set        || !stix->_system_dictionary || !stix->_method_dictionary ||
 	    !stix->_association       || !stix->_true_class        || !stix->_false_class       ||
 	    !stix->_character         || !stix->_small_integer) return -1;
@@ -170,15 +171,10 @@ static int ignite_2 (stix_t* stix)
 	stix->symtab->bucket = (stix_oop_oop_t)tmp;
 
 	/* Create the system dictionary */
-	tmp = stix_instantiate (stix, stix->_system_dictionary, STIX_NULL, 0);
+	tmp = stix_makedic (stix, stix->_system_dictionary, stix->option.dfl_sysdic_size);
 	if (!tmp) return -1;
 	stix->sysdic = (stix_oop_set_t)tmp;
 
-	stix->sysdic->tally = STIX_OOP_FROM_SMINT(0);
-	tmp = stix_instantiate (stix, stix->_array, STIX_NULL, stix->option.dfl_sysdic_size);
-	if (!tmp) return -1;
-	stix->sysdic->bucket = (stix_oop_oop_t)tmp;
-
 	/* Export the system dictionary via the first class variable of the Stix class */
 	((stix_oop_class_t)stix->_stix)->classvar[0] = (stix_oop_t)stix->sysdic;
 
@@ -201,9 +197,11 @@ static int ignite_3 (stix_t* stix)
 		{  6, { 'S','t','r','i','n','g'                                          } },
 		{  6, { 'S','y','m','b','o','l'                                          } },
 		{  5, { 'A','r','r','a','y'                                              } },
+		{  9, { 'B','y','t','e','A','r','r','a','y'                              } },
 		{  9, { 'S','y','m','b','o','l','S','e','t'                              } },
 		{ 16, { 'S','y','s','t','e','m','D','i','c','t','i','o','n','a','r','y'  } },
 		{ 16, { 'M','e','t','h','o','d','D','i','c','t','i','o','n','a','r','y'  } },
+		{ 14, { 'C','o','m','p','i','l','e','d','M','e','t','h','o','d'          } },
 		{ 11, { 'A','s','s','o','c','i','a','t','i','o','n'                      } },
 		{  4, { 'T','r','u','e'                                                  } },
 		{  5, { 'F','a','l','s','e'                                              } },
diff --git a/stix/lib/main.c b/stix/lib/main.c
index 256fce7..1721821 100644
--- a/stix/lib/main.c
+++ b/stix/lib/main.c
@@ -298,9 +298,9 @@ int main (int argc, char* argv[])
 	}
 
 {
-stix_uch_t x[] = { 'S', 't', 'r', 'i', 'n', 'g', '\0' };
+stix_uch_t x[] = { 'X', 't', 'r', 'i', 'n', 'g', '\0' };
 stix_uch_t y[] = { 'S', 'y', 'm', 'b', 'o', 'l', '\0' };
-stix_oop_t a, b;
+stix_oop_t a, b, k;
 
 a = stix_makesymbol (stix, x, 6);
 b = stix_makesymbol (stix, y, 6);
@@ -310,6 +310,13 @@ printf ("%p %p\n", a, b);
 
 	dump_symbol_table (stix);
 
+/*
+stix_pushtmp (stix, &a);
+stix_pushtmp (stix, &b);
+k = stix_instantiate (stix, stix->_byte_array, STIX_NULL, 100);
+stix_poptmps (stix, 2);
+stix_putatsysdic (stix, a, k);
+*/
 
 stix_gc (stix);
 a = stix_findsymbol (stix, x, 6);
diff --git a/stix/lib/obj.c b/stix/lib/obj.c
index e77ed00..1b11cb9 100644
--- a/stix/lib/obj.c
+++ b/stix/lib/obj.c
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ stix_oop_t stix_instantiate (stix_t* stix, stix_oop_t _class, const void* vptr,
 	}
 
 	stix_pushtmp (stix, &_class); tmp_count++;
+/*TODO: protected vptr if it's not STIX_NULL and the variability(indexed_type) is OOP. the current impl is buggy */
 
 	switch (indexed_type)
 	{
@@ -214,6 +215,7 @@ stix_oop_t stix_instantiate (stix_t* stix, stix_oop_t _class, const void* vptr,
 	return oop;
 
 einval:
+	STIX_ASSERT (tmp_count <= 0);
 	stix->errnum = STIX_EINVAL;
 	return STIX_NULL;
 }
diff --git a/stix/lib/stix.h b/stix/lib/stix.h
index 8b12ab2..c685190 100644
--- a/stix/lib/stix.h
+++ b/stix/lib/stix.h
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ struct stix_t
 	stix_oop_t _false;
 
 	/* == NEVER CHANGE THE ORDER OF FIELDS BELOW == */
-	/* stix_ignite() assumes this order */
+	/* stix_ignite() assumes this order. make sure to update symnames in ignite_3() */
 	stix_oop_t _stix; /* Stix */
 	stix_oop_t _nil_object; /* NilObject */
 	stix_oop_t _class; /* Class */